Unfettered III New tales by masters of fantasy

This powerhouse addition to the Unfettered series continues the tradition of donating proceeds to authors struggling with medical bills and boasts an incredible lineup of stories by pillars of the fantasy genre, many of whom contributed works set in the fictional worlds for which they are best known. Readers not familiar with those series-including Frank and Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Dune franchise, Anna Stephen's Godblind series, Cat Rambo's Tabat books, Lev Grossman's Magicians novels, Terry Brooks's Shannara Chronicles, Anna Smith Spark's Empires of Dust, and Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson's Wheel of Time saga-will find it difficult to connect with the prologues, B sides, and deleted scenes included here, though introductions provide some useful context. Standalone stand-outs include Seanan McGuire's "Stripes in the Sunset" and Naomi Novik's "Seven," both of which explore the costs of human hubris. Though some readers may be disturbed that many stories include scenes of women and children being assaulted, molested, and murdered, this massive tome will easily find a home with fans of grimdark, military, and epic fantasy. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION The Power of Three I had no idea what the future would hold when I planned Unfettered in 2011. In truth, how could I? The present took precedence over that future. I spent every day recovering from two surgeries and six months of chemotherapy_necessary evils to combat the greater evil of cancer. Knowing I must, I fought to create Unfettered from nothing. I gave little thought to a future in publishing, of writing, or even what the next day could bring. Now, seven years later, I look back fondly at that time, remembering how my author friends rallied to my banner. They did so again with Unfettered II, to raise money for others in similar dire straits. Now the publication of Unfettered III continues that mission. These authors contribute works of the fantastic because they believe in the power of our geek community making a difference. In short, they believe in you, the reader. It warms my heart to no end. But as I sit here writing this introduction, I am reminded that the true power of these anthologies resides within their pages_great stories written by authors at the top of their game. And Unfettered III has both, no doubt. I never thought one day I_d publish a Shannara tale. Or a Dune entry. Or any part of the Wheel of Time, let alone a novella-sized Perrin story. Or powerful new contributions featuring gorgeously wrought prose from writers like Seanan McGuire, Callie Bates, and Naomi Novik. Or grimdark by Anna Smith Spark, Anna Stephens, and Mark Lawrence. The list goes on and on. I am humbled by Unfettered III. I think you are in for one helluva read! That is not all though. Unfettered III is why I keep publishing and hope to do so for many years to come. I can see that future now. These anthologies are a testament to great storytelling but more than that. It shows the character and strength of our reading community_and our humanity. We rise to help others when they are down; we fight for those in need when our needs have been met. And magic is within the words and hearts of us all. Shawn Speakman Editor and Publisher December 2018 Excerpted from Unfettered III by Shawn Speakman, Kevin J. Anderson, Katherine Arden, Callie Bates, Terry Brooks, Delilah S. Dawson, Jason Denzel, David Anthony Durham, Lev Grossman, John Gwynne, Brian Herbert, Robert Jordan, Mark Lawrence, Megan Lindholm, Todd Lockwood, Seanan McGuire, Naomi Novik, Peter Orullian, Cat Rambo, Robert V. S. Redick, Brandon Sanderson, Ken Scholes, Scott Sigler, Anna Smith Spark, Anna Stephens, Patrick Swenson, Ramón Terrell, Marc Turner, Carrie Vaughn, Tad Williams, Deborah A. Wolf All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.